Sympathy
by VioletSunrise
Summary: This is a story of a young woman named Lily Moss who is kidnapped by Bane and his man. She gets more than she bargained for. Diclaimer: I do not own this the character nor do I own anything affiliated with The Dark Knight Rises. I am a fan of the TDKR series. I love Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane. This story contains cursing, violence and broken necks.
1. Chapter 1

Sympathy

She presses her hands against the rough skin across the jaw line of Bane's ruined face. A pair of serious dark brown eyes softens as they look into her eyes. It feels strange being so close and not feel afraid. Over the scaled skin of his mouth, her fingers trail. The skin infected badly so much that the skin is a deep purple almost black hue. The tip of Bane's nose is nearly as dark but, the infection was not as severe. He winces as she touches him shutting both eyes for a moment. One lone tear slides down his cheek. The pain is more than he could bear.

She removes her hands from his face only to get the mask that rests on the floor. This is the first time that Bane allowed anyone to see him without his mask. Not even his men are privy to the sight. It is the only way that Lily would agree to stay underground. Trust is the one thing that he could not force. No matter how hard he tries her fear seems to grow. It infuriates him more than anything. The thought of snapping her neck crossed his mind for a moment but, he ignored it. The sight of yet another dead body found anywhere in Gotham will bring more trouble than Bane needs at this time. As it was ten bodies lie in the morgue with broken necks.

Bane opens his eyes as even more tears slip down his cheeks. He clenches his teeth together as the sound of his breathing grows more labored. Lily lifts up the mask and places it over his head. The idea of helping her secure it crosses his mind but, the pain grows more intense… Once the mask is in place the pain quickly disappears as the Venom invades his system. She sits in silence as the veil is once again lowered. All emotion drains from his face.

It is not something that Lily can comprehend . Somewhere within him that vulnerability still exists. Deep emotions are forever present and certainly not something that a person could just lock away. But, then there is nothing about Bane that she understands. They stare at one another for a moment before either one speaks. She wonders what he is thinking about. From all that has taken place in this underground lair, there is nothing that he is not capable of. The wheels with in his head turn rapidly. All that it seems to take is one wrong word or one false move. Life does not mean much to him and that is what makes Lily's heart race.

"You are safe," he says to her, "if I wanted you dead, I would have done so." His words are sound so empty that they mean absolutely nothing to her. Bane stands up walks away from the bed carefully. He picks up his clothing off the floor and begins to dress himself. Every inch of his body is pure muscle. Lily does not stare long enough to glimpse his nudity. She fears that it will unearth something dark from within him. The first time that he looked into her eyes it was there but, he tucked it away. That did not mean that the feeling outright disappeared.

Chapter 1

Lily Moss did not come to him willingly. It is one of those wrong places at the wrong time situations. She steps foot into the hallway walking fast. The hallway lit up by bright white florescent lights was empty. Carpeting underfoot smelled of cleaning solvents. A delivery of office supplies would be arriving momentarily. Boxes containing large quantities of white paper, black pens and printer ink would be piled almost to the ceiling. Deliveries happened more times than that she could count. At any given day a man would be walking the halls decked out in a uniform of some sort. He would either be pushing or pulling a cart full of boxes from a supply company whose name was unknown to her.

She heads up the hallway expecting to see piles of boxes sitting by the elevators but, this time that is not the case. Nearly a dozen armed men gather around one lone person who towers above them all. On his face, he wears sort of facial mask strapped over his face. It resembles a helmet that obscures his face almost entirely. All that she sees are portions of the man's slightly tan bald head. Apparently, Lily is catching the tail end of a conversation about taking over the building. Each floor completely guarded. This particular floor is the only one that has yet surveyed.

The masked man speaks not only laying out his plan but, making the hairs on Lily's neck stand up. His voice does not sound real. There is a voice box in the mask that alters Bane's voice so much so that it does not sound real. However, the way that he assembles each word and phrase is remarkable. His diction is perfect almost to a T. There is eloquence to the way that everything that he says. Either way, something about him is not right.

These men are not paying any attention to her at all. She could be invisible and none would be the wiser. Lily decides to flee in the direction that she came from. This is not the smartest plan but, then again it is the best one at the moment. She can make it back up the hall carefully if she would just not draw attention to herself. Slowly, she walks backward with one foot behind the other. The masked man is pointing to one man who is in front of him gesturing about something. Just a few more steps until Lily will be home free. She pivots around a little too soon colliding into a man who was a mere four inches taller. The impact throws her slightly off-balance. All that it takes is a push which sends her falling backwards. It feels like everything happens in slow motion. Before, she stop herself, her behind hits linoleum floor hard.

The man who stands before her has a smirk upon his hard tan face. It makes him look a lot younger than he is. Slight pain gathers at the small of her back. It makes a few tears fall on her cheeks. She wipes them away with the back of her hand cautiously attempting to stand. Once Lily is back on her feet, she brushes the dirt off her black dress. It is the one that she just purchased for work the day before. She cuts her eye at the smirking man. His facial expression deepens as he vainly turns his gaze towards the collective of men.

Lily wonders what is so funny directing her attention to what is behind her. She notices that all eyes are on her now particularly the masked man. Two men step out of his way as he emerges from the crowd. He walks over taking long graceful strides. The sounds of his boots against the floor are like rocks falling down from a mountain. His eyes turn to slits staring straight at her. Lily stands with both feet apart holding up both fists. She does not divert her eyes one inch. What little courage that she possesses is present at the moment. She swallows pulling up both fists toward her chest.

He approaches quickly with no intention of stopping. The closer he comes, the more that Lily realizes she is not the target. The pounding of her beating hear fills her ears with sound nearly deafening her. She gracefully slides to the right out-of-the-way leaning with her back against a nearby wall. This space nestled between a stainless steel water fountain and a janitor's closet door. Both of her hands press against the wall. Lily's eyes are wide as everything plays out in front of her.

The smirking man's smile disappears as the masked man stops in front of him. All of the color drains from his face. Before, he can plead his case a hand takes hold of his thin neck. It begins to squeeze causing the man to gag. Lily shuts her eyes and turns away. She does not want to see what is about to happen. A loud crunching sound like sitting on a bag of potato chips is heard. A loud thump follows. He is dead.

A slight hissing sound draws her attention forward. The masked man stands facing her. He holds the straps of the vest with both hands of what looks like an armor-plated vest hidden under a heavy beige coat. Lily looks beyond him to see two men walk towards the dead body on the floor. Together, they crouch down and pick up the body. Then in silence these men continue walking up the hallway. She hears their heavy foot steps moving up the hallway in the same direction that Lily came from.

"Where were you going in such a hurry," he asks her. The sound of his voice startles her. It does not seem real to have a cacophony of voices in the place of one. "I-I am on my way to the fourth floor," she replies looking up at him, "I have to pick up some papers for my boss." He cocks his head to the side. Her answer amuses him in some way because his eyes crinkle at the corners as though the man is smiling. There is no way of telling due to the mask over his face. It makes him look scary like something out of a science fiction movie.

Lily assumes that this tube helps the man breathe by the sound of his heavy hissing breaths. The mask appears very complicated as if someone in a lab took their time to create something that would fit this monster. One lone strap connects from the base of his skill over the top of his head. It hides his nose coming to rest on top of an octagon shaped voice box of some sort. It conceals the man's mouth which under something that looks like a speaker. There are eight tubes which include four at the top and bottom. A chin strap that is stretches from the box cover his ears, jaw and most of his cheek. The straps connect into the base of the man's skull along with a couple of tubes.

"What is your name?" The sound of his voice was calm.

"My name is Lillian. Lilian Moss."

He repeats her name several times before settling on Lily. The way that he pronounced Lily made her feel delicate like porcelain. She is a flower that this man could crush with one single blow.

One man comes running through the small gathering straight towards him. "Bane," the man replied stopping abruptly, "we have to vacate the building. The lookout says that there are police cars approaching fast." _He_ did not answer him at first. Lily assumed that he was thinking. The man does not attempt to repeat himself. She assumes that he must know better. Bane turns to the crowd that was awaiting his signal and told them to move out. Most of the men disperse in opposite directions. Only three remain to await further instructions. One of which includes the man who someone calls Mika.

There is no way that he is going to leave her as a witness. His eyes fixated upon hers as a look of pity washes over him. Lily is not the least convinced but, she does not make it known. "Is everything in place, Noah," Bane asks. "Yes sir," replies a young African-American man with skin the color of mahogany. Noah wears a blue scarf around his neck. "I made sure that the crew disconnected everything before we gathered up here."

"Lily," he replies, "you are going to come with me now." Bane takes a step backwards as she lifts herself off the wall. All of a sudden all guns turn directly upon her as she approaches him. If there was a chance to run, Lily obviously missed it again. Once she stands at his side, he grabs hold of hand into his gripping it tightly. Without another word, the five of them start to walk up the hall. Why is the building so silent? Either there was a silent evacuation or word went around for the employees to stay inside of their offices. Someone definitely forgot to send that memo to her office.

They reach an emergency door at the end of the hall. The third man whose hair is as dark as Lily's walks up to quickly open the door and hold it. Maybe the alarm would go off and she would be able to escape. It occurred to her as the door opened that when the man said they disconnected everything, he literally disconnected everything. The patient man enters the stairwell first descending the stairs carefully. Bane pulled Lily through the door and down the steps behind him. His pace is faster than her own. There was no point in fall down the steps so she stared down at her feet.

The heavy foot steps behind her obviously belong to Noah, man in the blue scarf who covers them from behind. She is down another flight before the door shuts and the sound of rapid foot steps are approaching. Lily says a silent prayer to herself for strength. She has no clue where exactly Bane is taking her. The idea is not to let the kidnappers take you to the second place. However, no one prepared her for someone whose temper is far more volatile than anyone she has ever met. Not to mention that it seems like it does not take much to piss him off.

There is a rumor circulating about kids turning up dead outside of the sewer system. She wondered what happened to them. The media had no explanation nor did the police. More importantly, all the kids had their necks broken. She wonders if Bane had anything to do with that. Those kids were mostly boys who disappeared after the system could not find a place for them to live. The age of expulsion in Gotham's Department of Children and Family Services was 17. All of the group homes overcrowded with children. When a child reaches that age the only alternative is to go underground literally.

Bruce Wayne was the only person in the city that could help out but, he had become a recluse. Nearly seven years have passed since the last time he walked in public. Not even Batman was around anymore. Some say that he murdered Harvey Dent in a fit of jealousy. Even Commissioner Gordon vouched for the story. Lily did not believe that one bit regardless of what the media said. The joker was the mad man not Batman. He set those fires to prove a point. It was a shame that a woman named Rachel died that night as well.

Everything happens so fast after they reach the last stair case. They run into an open van. Lily sits in the front with Bane and the driver. Once everyone is inside and all doors shut the long journey begins. She sits on Bane's lap sideways with her back to the passenger side window. All that she is able to do is stare out the windshield as the van races out of the parking garage. She does not move as the van turns around every bend. He has his arms secured around her to keep her very still.

She is not wearing a coat so the cold air is ripping through her cotton dress and stockings. All of her stuff is back at the building including her purse and cell phone. They are rushing to take her somewhere downtown. Lily does not even think to ask. where. The driver reduces his speed as they meet the traffic. People are on the streets walking up and down. No one pays attention to the cars as they gab on cellular phones which look plastered to their faces. A thin woman carries a large black leather bag on her shoulder teetering on high heels.

Lily feels a hand ran up her forearm only to stop at rest rubbing the fabric absently with his thumb. At some point, they will be alone. The muscles in her stomach clench at the thought. Somewhere, her mother Amanda sits in the kitchen awaiting her arrival. Dinner is cooking on the stove. It is Lily's favorite meatloaf. Little does Amanda know that tonight will be the first night that she eats at the kitchen table alone? The police are climbing the front steps to give her the news. Her only child is gone and not one witness knows where the assailant took her. Every camera in the building malfunctioned. Some one will say that it was some type of computer glitch overpowered the system. Every computer in the building is completely fried.

Amanda Moss stares in silence as the police men speak. Suddenly, the ground rises up to meet her face.

Out of the darkness, Lily emerges surrounded by Bane and his men. She walks forward across the floor right on a platform. Loud sounds drew her attention up. There are four level leading up to a very high ceiling. In the distance, a waterfall flows down into a pit of rushing water. Bane leads Lily up a flight of steps across one platform where some men are sitting around in the darkness. They wait for orders. Suddenly, they all stand up in place their eyes following him.

Men are hard at work above jack hammering on the second platform. They are attempting to break through metal pillars and sawing through various items. Some glance her way for a second before they resume their work. Women obviously are not allowed in this place. She shudders at the thought of being the only woman underground with these men. Many have not seen the light of day in months let alone a member of the fairer sex.

They continue walking until out of the blue, he stops. Four men are standing around talking about something .Lily does not recognize the words. They speak fast in a language that sounds like an older dialect. She thinks that it could be eastern European of some sort. "What is the status," Bane replies calmly breaking the conversation.

"There is more work to be done," a man with large eyes replies. He eyes Lily with a suspicious look. She is not paying him any attention. Numerous men stand around watching in silence.

Bane stares at the man until he has his attention. "What is taking so long," he calmly asks him. A tiny twinge of impatience is present in his tone as well. The large eyed man replies, "It is impossible to…" A small pin could drop and the sound of its impact would echo everywhere. All eyes are upon him and his feeble attempt at an explanation.

Bane let go of Lily's hand ushering her slightly to the side. Noah grasps her arm carefully guiding her away from _him_. In fact, most of the men have taken a step back far enough to give _him_ space. "My directions were clear," he replied shrugging out of his coat. It drops down upon the floor. A boy about fifteen years old emerges and picks it up. The kid disappears into the shadows even faster "Why is it not done," he replied cracking his knuckles. It was a lot more painful to hear than to do. Lily did not look away.

"Like the saying goes," he replied, "if you want something done…." Lily has his attention for a moment. There was something dark present within his eyes. She bites her bottom lip fearful that this man will die in front of her as well. "You have to do it yourself," he continued, "Lily." This was a signal of something but, Lily could not figure out what. Bane laughs only to face the man again. He walks forward with the most erect posture that she has ever seen. There was no way that this guy's eyes could grow any wider but, they did.

Bane lifted up his hands and placed them on both sides of the guy's face. He turns the man's head to an awkward angle and his neck snaps. The body slams against the floor like a rag doll. Two of the men rushed forward to pull away the body. Lily stared at the floor in disbelief. The crowd disappears without a word leaving the four men who emerged from the van with Bane and Lily. She could feel the muscles in her stomach clenching.

"Barsad," Bane calls out. A man with brown hair and dark tanned skin steps forward on his left side. Lily recognizes him as the driver of the van. He did not say anything during the entire ride. Nor did he even look her way. "Make sure that," he replies, "the men finish their work soon." The tone of his voice is direct. Whatever it is that they are working on is important. So much so that it cost a man his life. "I will," Barsad replies. He glances over towards Lily a second time with a slight smirk on his face.

Apparently, there is something that Lily is unaware of. As Barsad walks away, something in the air changes drastically. It feels as though everything around her has stopped. She looks around and does not see a window in sight. There is no clock or anything to tell her what time it is. With everything that has happened, she never thought about time. All of a sudden, it has become far more important than anything else.

Lily is awake sitting in the corner of a room filled with furniture, books and various articles of clothing. Not one spec of dirt or dust is on the floor. One lone light bulb in the center of the ceiling fills the room with artificial light .To her left there is a full-sized bed set up in an adjacent corner. It's covered by a dark grey comforter which is neatly pulled up over black sheets. The bed's head-board stands about five feet high and made of mahogany. Long black drapes hang down to the floor over a window which is above the foot of the bed. What little light shining outside seen through a slight an outline. A desk set up with a pile of books upon it though Lily's unable to see the titles because of the leather chair that blocked her sight.

Two book cases that nearly touch the ceiling resemble something out of an IKEA catalogue assembled and set up next to the desks. Each book-case held five shelves and hundreds of hard cover books. A few of the Title included Huckleberry Finn, Moby Dick, Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Hunger Games. Somewhere within those rows of books exists at least one Twilight Saga Book. Lily made it her mission to look for it at some point. The image of Bane sitting in the desk chair flipping through New Moon wiping tears from his dark eyes makes her laugh slightly to herself.

There are three worn out army green bags lay on the floor in front of the bookcases next to a wall. One of the bags which stand up tall leans with the draw string opened. A couple of black shirts are neatly folded resting on top of this bag. One pair of sandy brown boots is on the floor next to it. Lily's eyes wander around looking at each wall. Not one picture frame or even a painting hangs upon them. There are no posters of any kind either.

A man with a very deep tan and dark blond hair known as Gael is at door staring directly at Lily with a furrow in his thick brows. Religiously, he holds on to a handgun with the safety on. Every moment that she makes observed in silence. At first, the man's attention does not bother her but, after a while she becomes uncomfortable. Lily shuts her brown eyes for a moment trying to imagine that she is anywhere else. Cool air blows from the vent above her head fill up the room slowly. The sound relaxes her for the moment like the wind blowing on a spring day.

The man at the door offered her food but, she refused. There was no telling what would be in it. Every so often the door would open and a different man would walk in. They would whisper to one another looking directly at Lily. She stares right back at them unafraid. A few hours earlier, he had his men take her to his bedroom. This occurs without a word or a once of hesitation.

Lily stretches out her legs staring at a scuff mark on the right toe. Her boots were brand spanking new. Great.

The door knob turns drawing her attention to the door. It swings open nearly slamming against the wall outside in the hallway. Assuming it is yet another visitor for the guy at the door, Lily continues staring at the scuff mark. A set of heavy foot steps enter the room crossing it. She glances up to see Bane walking over to the desk and setting something metal down on it. He turns his head to the right. "Leave." His tone is sharp and caustic. Suddenly, the man gets up off the chair and nearly runs out of the door. The door shuts slowly with a soft creak and a click of a lock.

A subtle hissing sound draws Lily's vision back over towards Bane who is now facing her. He stands with his feet apart and both arms crossed over his chest. "My men tell me that you have refused many offers of food. Why?"

"I am not hungry," Lily replies bending both needs.

"Four hours sitting in this room and you are not hungry," Bane replies slightly raising his brows. She swears under that mask there is a smile on his face.

"No."

"And you have chosen to sit on the floor and not on the bed or in a chair," he says with a slight laugh shaking his head.

Lily does not say a word. Choosing words is a lot harder than she thought it would be.

"You **are** brave."

He turns to make his way over to the door to turn the lock. "In fact Lily, you are many things. You are 27 years old, college educated and the youngest daughter of Gotham's most prominent lawyers." Somewhere down in this lair a man sat down researching every facet of her life. Deep within her stomach there is a slight clinch. Her father is out-of-town now but, where he is that does not change the fact he is in danger. The image of Bane's men closing in on her father's hotel room makes Lily hug her knees tighter. More than likely, there is some one work in his firm on the inside already.

"Your father is the only lawyer," Bane replies leaning against the door, "in the city that through The Dent Act convicted some of Gotham's most vile criminals." She swallowed and broke eye contact with him to stare down at the fabric of her black dress. For the past few months, her father's face plastered on the cover of news papers and political magazines. Her family had an interview with one of Gotham's top News channels GNN (Gotham News Network). A female reporter who was nearly ten years older than Lily showed up at their home. She asked so many questions that they made her head spin. Everyone in the family answered each question beautifully.

Her older sister Jackie Kincaid is pregnant with a baby boy on the way. The wife of a stockbroker and a socialite herself, she volunteers down at the local soup kitchens and food pantries. Lily's brother Andrew Moss is serving his second tour overseas as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Even her mother Amanda is a chair person on Gotham's board of education. The only person in the family whose life was not that glamorous was Lily's. She did not speak at all until the moment when the reporter asked her about life as the youngest daughter of Jordan Moss. Lily tailored her answer to sound as perfect as possible.

"Things happen for a reason, Lily. You of all people should know this fact. Why else would you get a place by yourself at the one company whose boss is not intelligent enough to put two and two together?" It was her own choice not to allow her family name to open doors for her. She wanted to do it all for she no matter how hard it was to do so. True, her boss is not the brightest bulb in the house but, he treated her well. Some of her coworkers would whisper about the Moss family and she would chime in from time to time. Not one person put two and two together considering her appearance and laid back attitude.

"What do you want from me," she asked him. The question gave Bane pause. One single solitary memory of a brunette with innocent deep dark brown eyes ripples through his sub conscious. _The woman is young with a sweet smile and an infectious laugh. Her chestnut-brown hair lifted off the shoulders as the wind blew past her. Smooth skin that was a shade or two darker due to a slight tan that she had acquired through years of living under the desert sun. She called out his name with her arms wide open. He wants to run over and pick her up. But, then the woman turns away walking in an opposite direction. No matter how many times he calls her name she does not turn back. _

_The small sound of laughter is heard in the distance. One voice speaks of a plan but, the words do not reach his ears. That one voice morphs into two, three, six then ten voices. Suddenly, the noise deafened him. He covers his ears with both hands but, the sound grows louder. There is no one around him now. He is in darkness but, there are people present nearby laughing. No matter how much Bane tells them to stop they do not. It is not until he is on his hands and knees screaming that it all goes quiet._

The memory fades away like smoke after an extinguished fire. Bane comes back to reality facing Lily whose deep brown eyes are wide in fear. He pushes himself off the door unwrapping his standing up straighter. Darkness fills his system once against grasping on more steadily than the Venom running through his veins. "You are a guest here," he replies, "but, if you chose to continue refusing my hospitality, I will not offer it **again**."

Bane is sitting down at his desk reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It is one of the books that pile on his desk with his back turned. Lily watches him for nearly an hour before her eyes grow heavy. She curls up in a ball lying on her left side with one of his pillows nestled under her head. He covered her up with a brown blanket that she pulled up to her neck. The room is silent except for the occasional page turn and his breathing. He is nearly half way through the book and it has his full attention for the moment. It is more interesting that he thought that it would be. The words are not that hard to comprehend as he assumed they would be.

A knock at door jolts him out his literary haven for the moment. He glances up at the clock above his head with a deep furrow in his brow. "Enter," he calls out placing the book face down on the desk. Tentatively two men enter the room followed by a third. The last man known as Jacob spies Lily sleeping in the corner. Her breathing is very soft but, it draws his attention almost immediately. His comrades are staring straight at the back of Bane's chair in silence.

He leans his elbows against the desk staring down at the spine of the book. "Bane," replies one of the men (known as Esau), "the triggers are complete. I tested them many times. One in particular keeps malfunctioning. It is the one that is…" The chair swivels around ninety degrees slowly. Esau's words are stagnant within his throat. A red tint runs over his golden brown skin as he attempts to calm himself. Bane sits slouched down slightly in the chair facing them. Both of his large hands folded together resting against the tight muscles of his flat stomach. His vest lies on top of the bags nearby.

"Supposed to what?" Bane asks.

The second man whose is known as Joshua replies, "...work but, Jacob…"

"Is far too busy staring at Lily to even grasp the dire need of this conversation?" Jacob still does not hear a word that Bane has said. He is daydreaming while staring at Lily with a glazed look in his dark grey eyes. Something sinister crosses his minds as Lily shifts herself slight trying to find a comfortable spot on the floor. His lips move but, nothing comes out. At the moment, he is lost his own little world.

Jacob does not hear the creak of the desk chair as Bane rises up. He is unable to recognize the heavy foot steps that are heading his way. Nor does he even see that his comrades have moved apart and turned around. The hissing sound that draws near ignored as he climbs deeper into the daydream. As hand presses against the left side of his face, he turns hoping to look into her eyes. A look of sheer bliss is upon his weathered tan face. Carefully, his head guided to the left side as he awaits the press of her soft pink lips against his skin. Instead Jacob hears a loud crack and everything goes dark forever.

The body falls down hard like a bag of rocks upon the concrete floor. Bane turns around to look down at both men directly into their eyes. "Do not waste my time again," he replies, "fix it." The men stand looking at him for a minute in silence. Joshua breaks eye contact first to walk over to Jacob's body and grab hold of both arms. Esau follows suits lifting up the dead man's legs. They drag him towards the door which has been left ajar.

Bane stands in silence flexing his hand right hand. His attention drawn to the corner where Lily sleeps. She stretches out across the floor with her thick dark hair hangs over her smooth face. Slowly, he creeps over to her making sure not to disturb her. Something within him awakens opening one eye after the other and stretching. No one else will know if he just lets down the veil and submits to the desires of this nameless faceless emotion. It has been dormant for so long that the feeling is almost foreign to him.

There are occasions when he awakens in a cold sweat with every fiber of his being on fire. Every breath labored almost to the point of hyperventilation. During the tossing and turning,his dreams always lead to a release. One that leaves his sheets stained and skin moist with it. It is hard to focus on anything else around him. Shame is all that Bane feels as he peels himself out of bed in search of his clothing in the dark.

_She is always present in the dream mocking and humiliating him. Her naked form is just a reminder of what he will never partake of. Try as he might this woman will never let him touch her. Even as he rises out of bed in the dream, she disappears into the shadows. _

_Many years have passed yet the feelings are very much alive. Upon first sight of her the predicament was born. All that he could do is sit and wait. A bit of hope sprang forth. There were other men who came from all over to become apart of The League of Shadows. But, it was clear that he was the most powerful and most important. Ra's al Ghul did not want just any man to stand by his side. He chose Bane out of respect for his loyalty and strength. However, he made a terrible mistake falling for her. She was beautiful and intelligent. Her strength matched his in every way. _

_Bane banishes the thought scooping up Lily off the cold floor. In an effort to not wake her, he rises up carefully. The floor is in no way comfortable to for her but; it was where she chose to sleep. He lays her on his bed. She is light, weighing no more than 150 pounds. For the moment all is calm and still. Her face appears more youthful at rest as though ten years have magically disappeared. So much work to complete but, it can wait. She shifts her head over to the left side leaning it against his chest unconsciously. The beating of his heart increases as for the moment the darkness seems to dissipate._

_He exits the room making sure to lock it behind him. Trust is something earned and there are only few in his collective that are worthy of such a respect. One man in the hallway stares straight leaning against the wall across from his bedroom door with rifle in hand. Bane gave the order to protect Lily at all costs. Traveling up the lengthy hallway, Bane passes nearly seven men in place. Not one looks in his direction. All that he can hear is the sound of his own breathing coupled with the machinery echoing in the distance._

"_That is not a problem," says one man who walks past the hallway as Bane emerges. "I understand. Yes, but…" The conversation ends as he falls into place standing at attention as the mercenary walks past. His eyes are dark and menacing at the moment but, seemed focused upon something else. Bane is tall but, every step is light. It would not take much for him to recoil and attack. The mask concealed something vile which no one of the men ever wanted to see. One soldier made the mistake of mentioning it and lost his life. A gun shot to the head and was thereby dumped into the water below. _

_This young man is new yet, he mastered the art of silence and obedience early. A young woman named Lily is resting within the room nearby. No one is to engage with her in any way except to ask if she is hungry or give her whatever she needs. Questions float around about her presence. Some say that she is only pleasure others torture. There are some who believe that Bane has an ulterior motive. No one is brave enough to voice these concerns for fear that Barsad or some other minions will hear. Even those who share the same pale white skin are snakes. Rather than make waves this kid stays on task. _

_Bane feels the eyes on his back as he walks through the hallway towards the outer platform. At the moment, that is the least of his concern. He takes a seat at his work bench unraveling a tangle of wire. It is a tedious job but, one should not have to explain to the others how to do this. Time after time, it unravels only to tangle again under the untrained hands of some low rate imbecile who could not follow directions. Four men gather around him armed with high-powered rifles. They are silent but, present._

_Heavy foot steps are approaching from behind dragging something heavy. He does not turn around at first assuming that it is nothing slouching over to further untangle the wire. A minute passes as the object upon the ground. Unless he is within the confines of his bedroom,Bane will have no peace. He turns slightly and out of the corner of his eye, he sees two men standing over the body of another. "What are you doing here?" he asks rising up off the bench. _

_Lily awakens slowly lifting herself off her back. She lets the blanket fall off of her turning to allow both legs to dangle off the side of Bane's bed. In the middle of the floor is a shopping bag filled with clothing. The idea of a Bane walking around in a department store searching through racks makes her laugh. Then she realizes that to buy anything someone had to know her size. Lily shudders at the thought of him touching her at all. The image makes her stomach clinch._

_She lets her bare feet touch the floor as curiosity takes over. The bag nearly over flows with folded clothing all variations of charcoal. Lily rifles through each any every article of clothing settling upon a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt. She undresses quickly glancing at the door fearful that someone may walk in. The jeans fit perfectly as does the shirt. Her eyes rove around the room looking for some sort of camera hidden but, it occurs to her that if this was his main goal, it would not take much. No way in hell would she fight him. He was much stronger that her. _

_The idea of her mother burying her was not something that she wanted to think of. Death was no something that Amanda took very well. Right now, she was completely out of her mind. Moss's from all over gather at her house praying for Lily's safe return. Her father was finally home trying to bury his sorrows alone in his study. Blaming himself for all that occurred in his absence. Little did he know that this was bound to happen in some way shape or form. It was the curse of being wealthy in Gotham. _

_The door opened and she took a step away from the clothing to lean against the door. One of Bane's men walked in that she did not recognize. He was as tall as she was with dark brown eyes. There was a scar above his right cheek. Numerous bags built under his eyes creating small shadows on his sallow complexion. His dirty blond hair cut close to his head. "Bane," he replies, "needs to see you." Lily slips her feet back into her boots and follows this man out the door. _

_To be continued..._

_Comments are welcome. This is my first page of fan fiction._


	2. In the dark

Lily sits at the head of a table eating alone. She watches two men walking back and forth to refill her glass of water and place various dishes in front of her. Both men have green eyes and completely shaved heads. Lily can tell them both apart because one man is clean-shaven and his brother has a five o'clock shadow. The door opens periodically and in walks Benjamin with his scarred face. He gathers together with the men whispering to one another in a different language. She swallows a small bite of chicken and tries her best to understand what they are talking about. However, she is completely unfamiliar with the words.

Lily looses track of the time focusing on the array of food on the table in front of her. There is chicken, steak, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, all types of green vegetables and it all smells fantastic. The clean-shaven man replies, "Bane will be here momentarily." She nods her head swallowing a bit of the steak. At home, her mother chastises her about manners. _Make sure that you eat with your mouth closed and do not scarf down your food, Lillian. Keep your elbows off the table and do not talk with your mouth full._ All of a sudden, her appetite disappears. She picks up the napkin nearby and gently wipes her face out of habit

She knows that her mother is beyond worried sick about her. Right now, the police are rifling through all of her stuff assuming that they will find some sort of clue. Lily hopes to God that they do not find her journal or her box. The one thing that will give her mother a heart attack will most definitely be "the box." The police are probably dusting for prints at her job. Little do they know that Bane is careful? More than likely, he sent in a crew to "clean up".

Suddenly, the door opens and in walks Bane. The green-eyed twins stand in place against the wall to Lily's right. They make an effort not to make any form of eye contact with him. "Sorry," he replies, "to keep you waiting. I had some last-minute business to attend to." The door shuts carefully behind him. Bane makes his way over to the chair on the other side of the table and sits down. There is no place setting for him which does not surprise Lily. He can not possibly eat while wearing that mask.

"I hope that you enjoyed," he replied, "your meal, Lily. Matthew and Mark worked very hard to prepare this for you. It is all organic and made with no genetically modified ingredients. I made sure that they were aware of your dietary restrictions."

Lily nods her head glancing down at the plate. How do the twins knew the exact type of food that she eats? Apparently, for the past few months a few of Bane's men work at the organic market downtown. It is clear that the twins look awfully familiar suddenly.

Bane replies, "They will prepare anything that you want to eat at a moments notice. All that you have to do is ask." Lily stares across the table at him in silence. He is sitting up straight with both arms crossed over his massive chest. She finishes the rest of the water in her glass not taking her eyes off of his. "I want you to feel comfortable here," he replies, "Lily. Think of this as your home away from home."

If this is her, then she can leave whenever she wants to. No need for a guard as Lily can move freely through the underground compound. However, if she makes her opinion known than he will surely go ballistic. More than likely the table in front of them will be flipped over everything on to the floor.

"Tonight," he replies, "I will be stepping out for a few hours. Until then my men are at your service. You are safe with them." He leans over to rest his elbows upon the table. Lily sinks back into her chair. Mark approaches the table with the intent to remove her plate. He realizes after a minute that Bane has his eye on him and begins to carefully step away from the table. . "Let her finish," he replies.

Lily turns to Mark and says, "Just take it. I am not hungry anymore."

Mark hesitates fearing Bane's next move. "She told you to take her plate away." If Bane's mouth could be seen in full view , she swears that he is speaking between his clenched teeth. Mark carefully lifts up the plate and silverware. He pivots walking out of view.

"Guess what I read in today's paper," Bane replied, "There is an article with your face under it." Matthew emerges with the front section of the paper placing it on the table in front of her. The headline reads where is Lily Moss? A picture of Lily hugging her mother printed on the front page. They took it a year ago at her father's 58th birthday party.

She lifts up the paper to read the first line only interrupted by Bane. "The article is full of the usual words and phrases," he explains, "Gotham's lost daughter. Lillian was born into a family of prestige and wealth." Tears gather in the corners of Lily's eyes.

One by one each tear slides down her cheek to come to rest on the paper. "You did not tell me," He replied, "that your middle name is Anne. What a lovely name" The article read that there is a reward for her return along with immunity for her captors.

"I do not need the money," he replies, "even though your family has more than enough to share. No, I have my benefactor."

The door opens a second time and in walks a man in his late fifties. He has grayish white hair and dressed like a college professor is light-colored beige khakis and a baby blue button down shirt. The man walks ten steps forward and comes to a stop. He glances around the room for a moment. When his eyes meet Bane's they widen. "Ah," Bane replies, "Lily this is an associate of mine Dr. Henry Pavel who is working very hard for me. He wanted to come down here to meet you." The man turned towards her in fear. Whatever he has seen apparently makes her experience pale in comparison.

"Say hello," Bane says, "Doctor." Out of fear the older man smiles slightly making sure not to upset Bane in any way. He says hello only to grow silent again. There is a hint of an eastern European accent in his voice. Lily smiles back wondering who this man is. More importantly, where did Bane find him but, does not dare ask. "Like you," Bane says, "he is another guest sleeping in one of the adjacent rooms next to mine."

"What is it that you need, Doctor Pavel?"

* * *

Bane returns a tad bit plan went on without a hitch. The Dark Knight appeared at the right time , acquired the tablet and was surrounded by most of Gotham's finest. However, he made his début more invigorated than earlier. His showmanship is only reminiscent of that Joker character from years past.

A boy emerges from the darkness to walk beside Bane. It is tough for the kid to stay in step with Bane but, he is somehow able to. Absently, he removes the leather jacket passing it to the boy along with the cumbersome red helmet.

The men are in high spirits now. Each one whispers to one another about phase two. Barsad is right by Bane's side brandishing a high power rifle with a smirk upon his face. At one time, he recalls being just a boy like the one who carries Bane's things. On the streets of Eastern Europe, Barsad stood rail thin peddling for food and money. It was Bane who took him in molding and shaping the young man. In some instances, Barsad served as a lover, bringing him to release on more than one occasion. Upon Lily's arrival, he kept his distance. This woman held a place that only he could supplement. Even so Bane needs him, of that he is aware.

The stairs are a bit more laborious to climb. Bane needs to rest for a few more hours. More importantly, he needs to see Lily. Once, he reaches the platform a number of men approach to give him an update. They speak to one after the other in full detail recounting the little that needs completion. Bane waves them away turning to enter a short narrow hallway. Men line up with their backs against the walls ready in place.

He imagines Lily sleeping in his bed curled up with her body hidden under a sheet and many comforters. Benjamin stands at the door and abruptly grabs hold of the knob turning quickly. The door opens with a creak startling Gael who jumps up and swiftly exit's the room. Bane walks in as though nothing happened. His steps tread lightly across the floor. The door shuts behind him but, he fails to notice.

Lily is asleep lying in his bed with the covers pulled up nearly to her neck. Bane stands over his desk unloading a hand gun. The half empty clip is hidden within a drawer. His work shirt unbuttoned and folded neatly into a square. It does not take long for him to unbuckle the vest, pulling it over his head, followed by the white crew neck worn under it. The vest is lain on top of the vest carefully. He kicks the boots off his feet with little effort and proceeds to unbuckle his pants, allowing them to fall to the floor. Bane takes the time to fold them as well placing them under the pile.

By this time, Lily is awake staring at him. "Did you sleep well," he asks, "I can imagine you did after such a large meal." She remains quiet slowly sitting up. Her arms wrap around her legs hugging them . "My men," he said, "seem to enjoy your presence. The amount of angst that permeated every corridor has dissipated. No man can truly exist without a woman. I learned this lesson. **The hard way**."

He turns toward her with a relaxed demeanor. "Your parents are very over protective of you," he says, "particularly your mother. No one is ever good enough for her little Lillian. Not even Richard Parks." Lily feels her heart flutter like the wings of a butterfly at the sound of _his_ name. The moment her mother saw him, her lips remained in a permanent line. Who the hell told him about Richard? "Most women," Bane continues, "your age have had their fair share of men but, not you…..Lily." She is aware of his naked body glimpsing the solid length of his thick, uncut cock. It is hard to not to notice but, Lily manages to keep eye contact.

"It is funny that you come from such a traditional household," he replies, "even if your sister's legs remained open to whomever, wherever." Lily feels the crimson hue creeping up to her face spreading like a rose blooming. "That's not true….I," she says as she tries to defend herself . Underneath, the mask Bane has a smile across his face. His eyes crinkle at the edges. "You are a delicate little flower," he replies with a slight laugh. There is nothing else for her to say.

"There is no need," he replies, "for embarrassment. I admire your patience and self-worth. Such traits are hard to find. No need to hide them like some sort of secret, Lily." He walks over to the bed and sits down at the edge. Lily pulls her legs to her chest and hugs them.

His posture slouched over at first staring down at the floor. She glimpses the scar that stretches from the nape of his neck down the length of his spine coming to rest above his tailbone. "Beautiful work," he replies, "the doctor did to save me. There was so much blood that it is a wonder I am not deceased."

"Modern medicine," he replied, "did not reach the depths of Arkham. I was so disoriented that I agreed to anything to take the pain away. What I was left with gave me a shield of some sort. The fact that I survived such a brutal attack made those same men who left me for dead, filled with fear. The doctor was the only person to see what had become of me. Word spread around that I resembled some sort of demon." Bane paused for a moment and sat up straighter.

"The men assumed that by destroying my face that they would cripple me in some way. Truthfully, that loss only made me more vengeful." Lily shuddered at the thought of what that statement meant. "I wore bandages only face until," he replied, "I left the pit."

"Why were you attacked," she replied. Bane turned to look at her with a sad look in his eyes. He could not bring himself to explain the truth. It tugged at the tiny strings within his heart. Lily struggles to understand this show of emotion, so much so that the shield she put up lowered slightly.

_A memory of a woman full with child being lowered slowly into the darkness burned in his mind. He did what he could to keep his distance but, never stopped watching. After, the woman gave birth, he recalls the soft sound of the baby crying echoed. The wolves gathering at all corners around her cell. They watch as the baby grew. Bane remembers thinking how smart it was for the child's mother to shave her daughter's one can tell that the child is female._

_One mistake of leaving the cell door unlocked is all it took for the beasts to break in. When they did, Bane jumped at the chance to grab the child. His act of selflessness sparked the fire of angst that only seemed to grow. The older the girl grew, the more aware the others became…._

To be continued.

Thank you for your feedback.

I apologize for the wait but, thank you all for being patient and reading my fan fic.

I do not own and rights to Bane, Barsad, Batman or any character from TDKR depicted in this work of fan fiction.

Just Lily and the soldiers that I named.

Your feedback is more than welcome.

Chapter 3 is on the way.

:)


End file.
